(Washington, D.C., Nov. 20, 2019)--Throughout November, B’nai B’rith International held commemorations across Latin America to remember Kristallnacht, or the Night of Broken Glass. In 1938, on Nov. 9 and 10, Nazis terrorized Jewish neighborhoods throughout Germany, Austria and parts of Czechoslovakia, killing almost 100 Jews, dragging 30,000 to concentration camps, vandalizing thousands of Jewish businesses and burning and destroying synagogues.

In Argentina, Chile, Costa Rica, Venezuela, Brazil, Panama, Ecuador and Uruguay, B’nai B’rith held remembrance programs marking the 81st anniversary of Kristallnacht.

For the last 26 years, B’nai B’rith Argentina has organized Kristallnacht memorial ceremonies. This year’s event took place in the capital city, Buenos Aires, where Christians and Jews shared a solemn interfaith and remembrance event in the San Ildefonso Church. Vice President of B´nai B´rith Argentina Susana Chalon spoke on behalf of B´nai B´rith. Secretary of Human Rights of Argentina Claudio Avruj, political leaders and members of the Jewish Christian Confraternity attended.

The Christian College Rhena in São Paulo hosted the commemoration and debuted an exhibit entitled “Never forget the lessons of the Holocaust.” President of B´nai B´rith Brazil Abraham Goldstein was one of the keynote speakers.

B’nai B’rith Uruguay hosted more than 600 people on Nov. 12 for its memorial ceremony. The keynote speaker was Rector of the Catholic University in Uruguay Julio Fernandez, who delivered a memorable speech about the necessity of education to face horrors like the Holocaust. The central candle of the menorah was lit by the country’s two presidential candidates who face off in a runoff election on Nov. 24: Daniel Martinez of Frente Amplio and Luis Lacalle Pou of the Blanco Party. The event was attended by former President of Uruguay Julio Sanguinetti, the current president of the Supreme Court of Justice and members of the Supreme Court, senators, Cardinal Daniel Sturla, bishops, congressmen, ambassadors from 12 countries and political leaders from all parties.

B’nai B’rith Costa Rica held a remarkable Kristallnacht commemoration ceremony with a great keynote speaker: Elizabeth Odio Beniti, judge in the Inter American Court of Human Rights and former Costa Rican vice president.

B´nai B´rith Venezuela hosted its commemoration of the Night of Broken Glass in its hall in Caracas. The keynote speaker was EU Ambassador Isabel Brilhante Pedrosa.

Foreign Minister of Ecuador Jose Valencia hosted event attended by 200 people at the foreign ministry in Quito. The core issue of the commemoration was the presentation of the book by Oscar Vela about Antonio Muñoz Borrero, who saved tens of Jews while he was an Ecuadorian consul in Stockholm between 1935 and 1942.

B´nai B´rith Panama hosted an event before hundreds of attendees. The keynote speaker was Gabriel Ben Tasgal, Israeli university professor, Director of the Hasbara program Hatzad Hasheni, who coordinated with Director of the B’nai B’rith World Center-Jerusalem Alan Schneider a very recent successful mission of Latin American journalists and politicians to Israel.

In Santiago, Chile, there was a joint Jewish Christian commemoration and the keynote speaker was German Ambassador to Chile Christian Ellbach.

B’nai B’rith International has advocated for global Jewry and championed the cause of human rights since 1843. B’nai B’rith is recognized as a vital voice in promoting Jewish unity and continuity, a staunch defender of the State of Israel, a tireless advocate on behalf of senior citizens and a leader in disaster relief. With a presence around the world, we are the Global Voice of the Jewish Community. Visit www.bnaibrith.org

(Washington, D.C., Nov. 6, 2019)—B’nai B’rith International President Charles O. Kaufman and CEO Daniel S. Mariaschin have issued the following statement:
 
We strongly support the Corinthians Football Club of São Paulo’s campaign to commemorate Kristallnacht by wearing yellow stars on their jerseys this week. The stars on the jerseys are meant to evoke the star badges Jews were forced to wear on their clothing under Nazi rule. Corinthians Football Club’s gesture of solidarity is timed to coincide with the 81st anniversary of the 1938 pogrom.
 
On Nov. 9 and Nov. 10, 1938, Nazi paramilitaries and civilians ransacked and destroyed Jewish-owned businesses, synagogues, hospitals and schools. After the Yom Kippur terrorist attack on a German synagogue, the murder of 11 worshippers a year ago at the Tree of Life synagogue in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and in the face of rising anti-Semitism in the United States and across the world, historical memory is more important than ever.
 
B’nai B’rith International has advocated for global Jewry and championed the cause of human rights since 1843. B’nai B’rith is recognized as a vital voice in promoting Jewish unity and continuity, a staunch defender of the State of Israel, a tireless advocate on behalf of senior citizens and a leader in disaster relief. With a presence around the world, we are the Global Voice of the Jewish Community. Visit www.bnaibrith.org
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B’nai B’rith remembers Kristallnacht, the Night of Broken Glass, which took place in Germany and Austria on Nov. 9 and 10, 1938. At least 96 Jews were killed, more than 1,000 synagogues were set on fire, nearly 7,500 Jewish-owned businesses were destroyed, and countless community centers, libraries and homes were attacked, looted and destroyed during the explosion of terror. About 30,000 Jews were rounded up and sent to concentration camps. Throughout November, B’nai B’rith Argentina, Costa Rica, Venezuela, Uruguay, Cuba, Chile and Paraguay held remembrance programs marking the anniversary.

For 20 years B’nai B’rith Argentina has organized Kristallnacht commemoration ceremonies in cooperation with the Ecumenical Commission of the Archdiocese of Buenos Aires and, this year, the Lamroth Hakol community. The B’nai B’rith-sponsored, interreligious ceremony was held at the Buenos Aires Metropolitan Cathedral with Buenos Aires Archbishop Mario Poli and Rabbi Fabián Skornik presiding over the program. Skornik discussed his participation in the Holocaust event “March for Life” around Europe, visiting many death and concentration camps. The most poignant and saddening sight for him, he told the audience, were the thousands of shoes without children. Poli stated the need to learn to accept pluralism and diversity in society for the sake of truth and justice.

> Check out our Facebook album with pictures from Argentina, Costa Rica and Uruguay

The moving program was organized by former B’nai B’rith Argentina President and current Director of the Interfaith Dialogue Commission Boris Kalnicki. The Argentina Hebrew Society chorus performed for attendees and candles of the menorah were lit by survivors, as well as Jewish and Catholic children. The event was strongly attended with ambassadors of Israel, Germany, Italy, France, Greece, Austria and the Vatican participating in the ceremony, while Jewish community leaders, Argentine politicians, and members of various congregation and churches filled the crowd.

B’nai B’rith Costa Rica held a Kristallnacht commemoration ceremony at the synagogue of Centro Israelita Sionista, the largest Jewish communal institution in Costa Rica. More than 600 people attended, including members of the legislature, judges, ambassadors from different countries and the Archbishop of San José, José Rafael Quirós. The theme of the program was “The control of the media by dictatorships” with keynote speaker Eduardo Ulibarri, the 20-year director of the Costa Rican newspaper La Nación and the country’s current permanent representative to the United Nations.

In Venezuela, B’nai B’rith held three important events from October into November. The first was an Oct. 30 ceremony honoring the work of Jan Karski, a Polish underground fighter in World War II who reported valuable information to the Allies on the destruction of the Warsaw Ghetto and the Nazi death camps. The ceremony was held jointly with the Polish embassy in Caracas. On Nov. 10 a Kristallnacht commemoration was held at the B’nai B’rith building in Caracas with more than 300 people in attendance. The following evening B’nai B’rith hosted a forum on human rights issues both past and present with Argentine judge Daniel Rafecas—an expert on the Shoah and international law—and Universidad Metropolitana (UNIMET) professor Maria Teresa Belandria sitting on the panel.

B’nai B’rith Uruguay hosted Vice President Danilo Astori, former presidents, political leaders, congressmen and diplomats at a Kristallnacht ceremony on Nov. 13 that was broadcast live by seven television stations. The keynote speaker at the ceremony was Archbishop of Montevideo Daniel Sturla.

In Cuba, the Maimonides Lodge held a remembrance ceremony with more than 150 people in attendance. The president of the Hebrew community in Cuba Adela Dworin came to the ceremony, as did many leadership and staff members of other Jewish organizations in Havana. Those present were serenaded by the Shofar Jewish Community Choir and the keynote speaker was B’nai B’rith Cuba President Samuel Zagovalov.

B’nai B’rith Chile organized a ceremony on Nov. 9 at a Lutheran church in Santiago. The event was co-sponsored by the International Council of Christians and Jews.

B’nai B’rith Paraguay hosted a ceremony Nov. 18 with former Uruguayan foreign minister and former United Nations General Assembly President Didier Opertti serving as the keynote speaker.

“Every year our brothers and sisters in Latin America show a strong commitment to remembering Kristallnacht, which marks the descent into genocide against the Jewish people,” B’nai B’rith President Allan J. Jacobs and Executive Vice President Daniel S. Mariaschin said in a statement. “Continuing this tradition of commemorating the Night of Broken Glass and including more and more members of the community at-large is the only way to ensure the events of those brutal days are not forgotten.”